


The Ocean

by the_space_ace



Series: Dream SMP but it's Lemon Demon songs [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Desert Island, F/F, Gen, Stranded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27989250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_space_ace/pseuds/the_space_ace
Summary: Puffy's been stranded on an island and she's convinced she's lost it when she meets a sea creature who calls herself Niki.
Relationships: Cara | CaptainPuffy & Niki | Nihachu, Cara | CaptainPuffy/Niki | Nihachu
Series: Dream SMP but it's Lemon Demon songs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2049987
Comments: 19
Kudos: 96





	1. “Did I scare you?”

The sound of the waves gently lapping on the shore did little to ease the fear and panic that had long since settled into Puffy’s bones. She was laying on the sand, staring up at the endless sky as she felt all her hope seep away.

A month.

Puffy’d been abandoned on this dumb island for a month.

All of her supplies (which she did her best to ration) had run out only a few days ago. She’d been able to find an adequate water source, but not a food source. She guessed that she had at least one more month left. Well, at least she hoped she did.

What rotten fucking luck. It didn’t make sense that she, of everyone on her crew, was the only survivor. How come everyone else died yet she was left alive to suffer a slow death? The Gods had favorites and Puffy knew she wasn’t one of them. Maybe if she prayed just a little more she would’ve been given the small mercy of dying when her head was bashed against the rock near shore.

The days were miserable; the island got too hot, the sun burning down and forcing Puffy to hide in the shade and humidity of the jungle. The nights were a small escape from the heat, the temperature dropping to a degree that she didn’t think was possible. This cycle from too hot and too cold left Puffy’s body struggling to regulate its temperature. It took all her energy, forcing her to spend most of her time sleeping.

At least the night sky was pretty. If she looked at the sky and ignored the sand that was all around her, Puffy could pretend that she was on her ship again. It was like she was back on her hammock above deck, staring at the stars as the waves of the ocean rocked her to sleep. Hell, she could practically hear the muffled snoring of her crewmates and the sound of the wind whipping against the sails. But then a wave would crash onto shore and Puffy was back to the nightmare that she was living.

Puffy spoke to herself a lot. There was no one to judge her for it and there was no one for her to talk to. It just seemed like the best choice, really. It kept her fairly entertained for a while, occasionally getting lost in these fake conversations. She’d talk about anything she could really think of. She thought that, maybe, if she said her thoughts out loud, she wouldn’t go crazy. Listen, Puffy’d heard more than her fair share of stories about people like her. People who’d get stranded on their own. Those stories ended in either death or the people getting miraculously rescued, but their minds would be changed. They’d go mad without any human contact, basically losing touch of their humanity completely. Puffy was determined to not end up like those folks.

Her love of the ocean never waned, surprisingly. Even though it led Puffy to her inescapable death, it brought her more joy in life than pain. Sailing on the sea gave her a sense of purpose and it made her feel alive in a way she didn’t know was possible. She lived for the thrill of it all, for every fight and for every discovery. The ocean gave her a home and that outweighed any sort of hatred that Puffy could’ve had.

Hey, at least she wouldn’t die hating the one thing she loved more than anything else.

The thought brought a smile to her face. The smile was gone almost as quick as it arrived when she felt the uncomfortable press of sand against her back. Guess she wasn’t allowed to have any sort of happiness.

“What a fucking joke.”

“I didn’t hear any joke.”

Puffy was past the point of caring about the undignified scream that left her throat as she heard a voice that definitely wasn’t hers. She was sitting up in seconds, fear gripping onto her heart. The voice had come from the direction of the shore, accented in a way Puffy had never heard before. It would’ve been interesting if she was in literally any other scenario.

“Did I scare you?”

Puffy tried to look for the source of the voice, scanning the shore to find a woman’s head poking out from the waves. It was hard to try and figure out what she looked like; the dark of the night and her distance from where Puffy was sat didn’t help in the slightest.

“Who are you?”

“Oh! I’m Niki!”

Not the answer Puffy was looking for, but it was something.

“Are you still scared?”

“Yes, very.”

Puffy was sure that Niki was coming closer, there was no way she was stationary. It was getting easier to make out a few distinct features on this maybe hallucination’s face. The things that Puffy deemed most important was her long, impossibly bright blonde hair and the two fins that were where her ears definitely should’ve been.

Niki tilted her head just enough for Puffy to catch it. It was kinda cute. Could’ve been very cute if Puffy wasn’t terrified out of her mind (because what the actual fuck was happening). “Why are you scared?”

“Because I was alone on this island and now I’m not.”

“But shouldn’t you be happy to have someone else with you?”

Was Puffy really doing this? Was she really having a conversation with this decidedly not-human woman? Yes, yes she was. Not like she had anything to lose.

“The thing is, you came out of the ocean.”

“Is that not normal?”

“Not for humans. Are you-are you a human?”

Niki shook her head and the water seemed to glow with the movement. Yeah, Puffy was definitely either dreaming or hallucinating. None of this could be real, it just couldn’t. Or maybe it could and Puffy’s just close-minded. She watched as the water went back to how it was before, the glow slowly fading away. No way this was fucking real.

“Then what are you?”

“What do you think I am?”

“A monster.”

“Depends on who you’re asking.”

Puffy tried to hold back the laugh that burst from her lips, ok, she really did. But damn, this hallucination had no right to be this entertaining. Niki giggled along with her, the small laugh sounding more like bells than an actual laugh. It was an enchanting sound and this time Puffy didn’t find it as hard to call it cute.

“Are you a drowned?”

“That would mean I’m dead and I’m not dead. Very living. You can feel my pulse if you want!” Niki swam a little closer, taking her arm out of the water and extending it to Puffy. From this close, it was easier to see the finer details on Niki’s face. Her eyes were pitch black and her mouth was wider than any human mouth. There were scales on her face that slightly shimmered if the moon light hit them right. Her hands were webbed and full of more scales. There were two more fins on the back of her wrists, both had a look that resembled a delicate piece of silk.

“I’m-I’m good, actually. If you’re not a drowned, then what are you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup!”

“Oh, wow, huh, that’s weird.”

“You’re very pretty,” Niki said, a smile pulling at her lips that pulled an embarrassed giggle from Puffy. Listen, Niki may not have been human, but she looked ethereal. 

“Oh, thank you. You’re, uh, you’re very pretty too.”

It was quiet for a bit and Puffy allowed herself to really just think about whatever the hell was going on. She’d already decided that none of this was real, so the hard part was out of the way. Was Puffy really so lonely that her brain had to make up a fake fish lady? At least it was a cute and probably not dangerous fish lady. You win some, you lose some.

“I told you my name.”

“You did.”

“And you didn’t tell me yours.”

“No I didn’t.”

“What’s your name?”

“Captain Puffy. The captain is more of a title than part of my name, so you can just call me Puffy.”

“Ok Puffy!”

Niki then sunk into the water, leaving no trace other than the glow of the water where she once was. Puffy was faced with silence again and, after finally hearing another voice that wasn’t hers, she hated it.


	2. “How do I convince you that I’m real?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puffy meets Niki again.

It was a week since Puffy had met Niki and not much had really changed. She still had no food and the hunger was finally starting to get painful. When she wasn’t sleeping, Puffy’s mind was overrun with thoughts of Niki. It was easier to think of her than it was to dread her eventual death.

Puffy would spend hours sitting by the shore, hoping that maybe Niki would show up again. Her mind would replay their conversation, focusing on the sweet cadence of her voice and the memory of her laugh.

Before the island, Puffy was incredibly social. She’d talk to anyone and everyone who’d be willing to hold a conversation. Her crew would easily match her energy, none of them hesitating to joke around with her. Niki was the closest she got to that so sue her if she got a little too attached. Puffy didn’t care if she was real or not at this point, she just wanted the company of the pretty fish lady.

Puffy was wading in the water, her pant legs rolled up as she looked for any type of life in the water. She was hoping to find maybe some fish or clams. Hell, she’d even settle for a crab or lobster. There was no way that there was nothing living in the water around the island, right? The ocean’s supposed to be teeming with life, so why was Puffy only finding rocks and empty shells? It was just another stroke of her god awful luck.

It was starting to get annoying.

Puffy let out a frustrated yell as she kicked the water, the splash of water that resulted did not have the effect that she wanted it to. Water didn’t break like glass did, unfortunately. She was overcome with the need to sink down into the water and just let the water take her. Who knows, it might be calming.

“Puffy!”

The sudden shout of her name made Puffy jump, losing her balance and sending her falling into the shallow water. She sat up and immediately spat out the salt water that got into her mouth.

“I’m sorry, did I scare you again?”

Niki was in front of Puffy, sitting much in the same way that Puffy was. There was one major difference though. Niki didn’t have any legs. In place of legs, there was a tail that was folded underneath her. It was much easier to see Niki now that the sun was out and Puffy felt even more speechless than the last time. She was entranced by the grin on Niki’s face and the light flush to her cheeks. Puffy didn’t really believe in perfection, but she was able to confidently say the Niki looked perfect. From the soft curve of her jaw and the small quirk of her eyebrow, every bit of her was beautiful and jaw-dropping.

“Yeah, consider me spooked.”

“What were you doing in the water?”

“Looking for food.”

“I can get you some!” Niki moved forward, the excitement on her face impossibly endearing. Puffy never would’ve guessed that someone’s eyes could be so expressive, especially ones that were purely black. “It wouldn’t take too long!”

Niki was about to start moving away again when she stopped, “Can humans eat seaweed?”

“We can.”

“Okay!”

And then Niki was swimming away. She moved incredibly fast, her tail shimmering in the water behind her. It was fascinating and on the verge of being slightly unnerving.

Puffy sat in the water for a few minutes before Niki was swimming back, hands full of various different seaweeds. The small pile was handed over to Puffy. “These are for you! The red ones taste the best, trust me.”

“Did you collect all these?”

“I spent all week getting enough.”

“Wait, really?”

“You looked like you hadn’t eaten when I last saw you.”

Puffy couldn’t fight off her smile as she looked at the assorted seaweed in her arms. There was a warmth growing in her heart that let Puffy forget the island. It let her focus on nothing except for the woman in front of her. “Thank you.”

Niki smiled as well, letting out a pleased hum that made Puffy’s grin grow. “I wanted to come visit earlier, but I also wanted to make sure I had enough for you.”

“I thought you were a hallucination and I still kinda think you are.” Puffy wasn’t sure why she said that or why the words fell so easily. But Niki didn’t seem offended or upset like Puffy thought she’d be. Instead, she laughed. She laughed and Puffy was so glad to hear that wonderful noise again.

“How do I convince you that I’m real?”

“Not sure.”

Niki swam closer and gently placed her webbed hand on Puffy’s cheek in a quick, unsuspected motion. Her touch was soft, featherlight and barely there. It took all the air from Puffy’s lungs as she stared at Niki in awe.

Puffy’s reaction must have been amusing to Niki because she giggled. Niki moved a strand of Puffy’s hair behind her ear, an action that Puffy associated with lovers (it was something she’d only seen her parents do and, well, she understood why they did it now; she’d never been more breathless or enchanted).

“What about now?”

For a second, Puffy was sure she’d forgotten how to speak. Her mind was a jumbled mess that was solely focused on Niki. “I mean, well, seems pretty real to me.”

“Good!” Niki removed her hand and Puffy’s heart fell. “Now you know that I’m real and I guess I know that you’re real too.”

“Just a couple of definitely real women.”

Niki laughed again. The satisfaction Puffy got at making Niki laugh again almost outweighed the disappointment of no longer having her basically caress her face. Key word: almost.

“Are you gonna eat your seaweed?”

“I think I have to cook it first, probably. I’ve never actually had the chance to eat seaweed before now.”

“Do humans always cook their food?”

“Yes we do.”

“Do you know why?”

“Not really, but probably because it’s safer.”

“Do you have to leave me to cook it?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Then I’ll come back later.”

“Only if you want to.”

“I do.”

“Guess I’ll see you later then.”

“Bye Puffy!”

Niki was gone again, leaving Puffy alone once more. It didn’t suck as much as last time; she’d see Niki again and that was more than enough to leave her in a good mood. As Puffy struggled to start a fire, her mind wandered back to Niki.

She was getting attached too quickly and she didn’t find it in herself to really care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothing to see here, just a pirate starting to fall in love with a mermaid


	3. “Dance with me.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " _Ballroom dance on a wave in the ocean  
>  But keep in careful mind  
> 'Cause you will always find  
> Endless danger to brave on the ocean  
> But that's just the way the ocean is_."

Niki ended up stopping by at least once a day after that, each day bringing some sort of gift for Puffy. Some days she’d bring Puffy shells and other days she’d bring more food. Niki’s visits became the one thing Puffy looked forward to everyday. If she wasn’t doing anything really important, Puffy would be sitting by the shore waiting.

Every conversation with Niki would leave Puffy feeling happier and lighter, a silver lining to the fucked situation she was stuck in. Niki would talk about things she’d found deep in the ocean, telling tales of whales and ship wrecks. Puffy would in turn share stories about her many voyages, making them seem a lot more fantastical than they actually were. Both of them would ask each other questions; Niki would ask about humans and Puffy would ask more about Niki’s species. Niki would share anything if Puffy asked about it; Puffy didn’t hesitate to do the same.

The more Puffy learned about Niki, the more attached she got. From her favorite color (the colors of the sky at sunset) to her favorite sea creature (a tie between hammerhead sharks and angelfish), every small piece of information Niki gave felt like the most interesting news Puffy had ever had the privilege of knowing.

With every laugh and every small touch, Puffy’s heart grew fonder and fonder. Niki had to have been the most interesting person Puffy ever had the pleasure of meeting (she was one of the nicest too).

While Puffy was sure she could probably live on that island for a long time, she knew she couldn’t stay there forever. It was a fact that left her heart aching and her mind in pieces. She had to go back to the mainland, make sure her crew’s family knew of their fate, and maybe she could start again. But did she really? Did she need more than this? Because she had found Niki. There was no way Puffy could find anyone like Niki, no one who could make her heart sing and her head feel light. Was there really more she needed other than that warm, comforting smile? Did it really matter if she did?

It was a train of thought that Puffy often found herself on, constantly wondering if it was worth it to even attempt to leave the island. She could craft a small raft (the wood on the island was surprisingly buoyant and the vines were much stronger than many ropes she’d come across) and hope she came across a ship. The chances of stumbling across a ship were small though; she’d probably end up dead before any ship caught sight of her raft.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Huh?”

“What has you thinking so hard?” Niki was sitting next to Puffy in the shallow water near the shore of the island, weaving together plants she’d found floating in the water. She looked particularly beautiful that day, something more vibrant to her tail and skin. It was like she was shining, almost as if she were a pearl.

“It’s nothing.” Puffy made an effort to keep the weight of her thoughts off her face and out of her voice.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.” Niki’s hand was resting on Puffy’s shoulder now. It made Puffy feel safe in a way only Niki could, the familiar weight making Puffy’s mind go slightly fuzzy (it was something that started happening recently and Puffy didn’t have the energy to really care about it). “You can tell me anything, Puffy.”

Puffy sighed and the sympathetic look Niki sent right after made her want to take the soft sound back. “I know, I know. Just not sure if I should.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to upset you.”

Niki’s hand moved from Puffy’s shoulder to her face, the caress comforting Puffy much in the same way a hug would. The edges of Puffy’s mind were getting fuzzier and the lapse in thought that came with it was welcomed. “You could never upset me, you know that.”

“I know.”

“Then tell me what’s bothering you.”

Puffy looked into Niki’s eyes, the warmth in her body feeling just slightly unbearable as her heart beat against her chest. Niki’s smile promised safety, promised security, and that was all that Puffy craved right then.

“So I’ve been here for a while, right? And I’m surviving just fine now and I could keep surviving for Gods know how long because I’ve got food, I’ve got water, and I’ve got company. But, I can’t-I don’t think I should stay here for the rest of my life. At some point, I think I should figure out a way to get to the mainland, y’know? I’m just so unsure.”

The look on Niki’s face was unreadable, her eyes not showing anything that she was thinking about. Puffy wished she knew what exactly was on her mind, wanted so desperately to know the thoughts occupying her mind. Niki moved her hand from Puffy's face and Puffy instantly missed it.

“Dance with me.” Niki held out her hand to Puffy.

“What?”

“Come and dance with me, to take your mind off things.”

The smile on her face was charming, something delightful to the small quirk of her lips. It felt like Niki knew Puffy’s answer before she had even offered; there was a certain surety to her words and actions that Puffy had no trouble spotting. 

Puffy took Niki’s hand, glad to feel that familiar warmth once more. “Just to warn you, I haven’t danced in a while.”

“Neither have I.”

They were moving farther away from the island and into deeper water. As they drifted farther and farther away, Puffy could no longer feel the sand beneath her feet. She thought she should have been nervous, should’ve felt the sting of panic or fear, but all there was was the comforting warmth and haziness that came with being around Niki.

Niki stopped them, placing her free hand on Puffy’s waist and smiling the brightest smile. And when Puffy placed her hand on Niki’s shoulder, her smile only grew. It was silent for just a few seconds and neither Niki nor Puffy moved.

But then there was music. Music that seemed to come out of the water, rising and surrounding the pair in it’s orchestral beauty. Puffy didn’t question it because as soon as it began, Niki was spinning them around in the water gracefully.

Puffy let herself be led around by Niki, losing herself in the swell of the music and the searing hot points of contact. With every gentle spin and small bout of laughter, Puffy’s mind unraveled until all she could reasonably think about or focus on was Niki.

She didn’t (couldn’t) register the water seeping into her lungs and stealing all of her air. Even when Niki’s hold on her tightened, the warmth turning cold and the mindlessness no longer comforting, Puffy was unbothered. The sting of the salt water on her eyes was nothing as Niki continued spinning them and spinning them and spinning them, her gentleness becoming sharp the deeper they went.

But then Puffy could feel her consciousness slipping, the burning of her lungs becoming unbearable. And Niki was smiling at her, still kind and still caring. The hand holding Puffy’s moved to caress her face one last time.

“ _I love you_.” The words were mouthed and all Puffy could do was nod. Niki quickly pressed her lips to Puffy’s, pulling away and mouthing a simple “ _I’m sorry_.”

The last thing Puffy saw before her vision went dark was the apologetic, heart-broken look that had painted Niki’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i knew that this was how it was going to end from the moment i started writing but it didn't make it any easier


End file.
